Overhead-track apparatus



(No Model.)

J. P. BoRKsv J. SIMANDL.

OVERHEAD TRACK APPARATUS.

No. 530,636; Patented Dec. 11, 1894-. I

zlgnnmim I v UNI- EDgS TEs OFFICE.

JOSEPH. F; BOR'K AND JOSEPH "SIM ANDL, OF MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN,

.OVERH EAD-TRACK APPARATU SPECIFICATION forming part 6f as ment mea eee, dated December 11, 1894.

7 Application filed January 31, 189:4. Serial No. 498.574. (N model.) i

To all whom/it may concern.-

'Be it known that we, JOSEPHRBORK and JOSEPH SIM-ANDL, citizens of the United States,

residing at Milwaukee, in the county of Milwaukee, and in the State of Wisconsimhave- In the drawings: Figure 1 isa representa-' tion, in side elevation, of our improved device, partly in section on the line 1-'1 of Fig. 2, and with portions broken away, and other portions left solid on the section line, to better illustrate details of construction. 3 Fig. 2

is an inverted plan view of the same with the operating handle in section on the line 22 of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a vertical section through one of thehangersand track, on the line 3-3 of Fig; 1.

Our device is especially designed for use.

houses, meat markets, refrigerator cars, coldstorage establishments, and the like, although capable of use wherever overhead tracking is employed.

Referring to the drawings, D represents the ceiling of a room, and E E hangers secured thereto, as by bolts d, the shape of said hangers being best shown in Fig. 3, said'hang ers terminating in shouldered or offset enlarged ends e. These hangers are preferably of castiron, so far, and are each further providedwith a track-holding plate f, preferably of steel so as to combine lightness with strength, secured to the said enlarged end e, as by rivets g g, the space between the plate f and opposed portion of the hanger E being preferably great enough to insure a loose fit to the track-section supported therein, a setscrew it passing through a screw-threaded perforation in said hanger and impinging against the supported track-section, to force the said track-section against the plate f and keep it firmly in place,-as shown best in Fig. 3, while permitting the ready and instant removal of said section when necessary.

T In the present illustratiom the hangers E E are represented as supporting sections F F" of a-main or straight track,-and sections G and H, of side or branch tracks, and our invention will be described in accordance with thisarrangement,although, as hereinafter explained; the arrangement of the tracks, within certain limits, is entirely immaterial and nonessential.

I is a socket, secured to the ceiling D, as by {7 bolts it, and provided with a screw-threaded central bore to receive the exteriorly-screw threaded upper end of the hollow switch post J forming asupport for the switch frame described below, the top of said post being provided with the slots or notches jj to receive a cross-bar K which supports a swivel-rod k,

to the lower end of which is secured the upper end, of a spring L, which passes down throughthe hollow post J and is secured, at

its lower end, to the lock M.

N represents the frame of the switch, consisting of a series of skeleton bars, and having a hub 72 surrounding the post J, and movable thereon, between the collars O and P,

the collar 0 being rigidlyand permanently forated lugs n so that the lock M, may be a drawn down freely by its handle Q, against the force of the spring L, in the operation of shifting the switch, as hereinafter described.

The collar P is provided on its lower side, with as many sets of locking notches as there are to be separate track-s, three sets of these notches, and three tracks beingshown in the present illustration, where a a, b b, and c 0,

represent the notches in said collar P (said notchesbein g continued through the adjacent bottom edge of the post J) and A, B and 0, represent the. sections of track bolted or otherwise secured to the switch-frame N.

The operation of our device-will be readily understood from the foregoing description of its construction, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings. For the purpose of illustration we have shown, as stated, one main track, and two branch or side tracks, the switch being set so that the track section A thereon comes in line with the adjacent sections F F of the main track, with said switch locked in this position. To accomplish this result, wherethe main track is supposed to be arranged along one side of a room, the track-section A on the switch would be straight, as shown, and the other track-sections, B and 0, carried by the switch-frame, would be on arcs of circles, and of the proper length and curvature to fully occupy the space between the end of the main-track section F, and the nearest ends of the sections G, H, of the side or branch tracks when the switch was swung around on the post J, at the required times. It will be understood that the switchframe may carry as many of these track-sections as is desirable, but we have found three a convenient number, as our switch may be duplicated anywhere along the line of any of the tracks, it being desirable that however it is turned, it shall always move within a circle (as indicated by the dotted circle R) which circle marks the inward terminations of the stationary track-sections. In the position shown in the drawings, with the main track continuous the trolleys or travelers (which are not shown, being of ordinary construction) would travel along said main track, and the branch tracks would be cut off. Now, if it is desired to switch a trolley (and its sus pended contents, such as the body of a hog or beef) onto one of the branch tracks it is only necessary to pull down on the handle Q and draw the lock M out of its locked position within the notches a a and swing the switch-frame around (on its swivel it) until the lock M is in line with the desired notches, the notches b b, for example, being cut to register (when the lock M is in line therewith) with the position of the track-section -Having now described our invention, what we claim as new, and desire to secure byLet- ,ters Patent, is-

1. The combination with the main track and branch tracks of a support, a switch frame provided with track sections and so mounted on said support as to revolve thereon, a lock permanently connected with said switch frame so as to revolve therewith and adapted to lock the frame in position when said frame is either adjusted so as to connect the main track with the adjacent section thereof or with any one of the branch tracks, substantially as set forth.

2. In an overhead track-system, the combination with the main and branch tracks of a suspended switch post having locking notches on its under side, a swivel and spring depending from said post, a switch frame revoluble on said post and carrying track sections, and a lock connected to saidspring and movably secured to said switch-frame for engagement with said locking notches,substantially as set forth.

In testimony that we claim the foregoing we have hereunto set ourhands, at Milwaukee, in the county of Milwaukee and State of Wisconsin, in the presence of two witnesses.

JOSEPH F. BORK. JOSEPH SIMANDL.

Witnesses:

' H. G. UNDERWOOD,

JOHN B. BANGS. 

